22: Arrival in Qingxuan

Time passed amidst the humming of the Flying Shuttle.

The Flying Shuttle landed several times along the way, picking up a new group of youths each time.

The cabin grew increasingly crowded until the seats were full and the air became somewhat stale.

The expressions of the newcomers were exactly like those of Li Qingfeng and the first wave—excited, bewildered, and nervous.

Li Qingfeng and his two companions silently observed these newcomers.

Most of the testing results were unsatisfactory, with the majority being Utility Disciples or unranked.

Occasionally, one or two candidates with Yellow Rank Middle or Upper Grade would board, causing a small stir that quickly subsided.

Eventually, the Flying Shuttle hovered above a larger town, and the cabin door opened once more.

This time, only two people boarded.

A youth wearing brocade robes with a haughty expression was personally led up by Senior Sister Wei.

When Senior Brother Liu tested him with the jade plate, a cyan pillar of light nearly six inches tall lit up!

"Wang Teng, Profound Rank Upper Grade, Inner Sect Candidate."

Senior Brother Liu's voice remained flat, but Li Qingfeng keenly noticed that Senior Brother Liu's gaze lingered on the youth named Wang Teng for a fraction longer than it had on him.

Wang Teng nodded reservedly, his gaze sweeping across the crowded cabin with an innate sense of superiority. He walked straight to the front and sat down next to Zhao Tianbao; the two seemed to exchange a few words in low voices, their manner quite familiar.

Wang Tiezhu quietly pulled on Li Qingfeng's sleeve and whispered, "That Wang Teng is a direct descendant of the Wang family from the neighboring Flowing Cloud City... I heard the Wang family has great influence in Flowing Cloud City and has clan members serving as Deacons in the Immortal Sect..."

Li Qingfeng nodded silently. Looking at Wang Teng's bright brocade robes and haughty profile, then looking down at his own faded old jacket, he felt clearly for the first time that even within the Immortal Sect, it might not be a pure land.

Talent was important, but background... also seemed to carry weight.

After the Flying Shuttle made its final landing and the reception was complete, the cabin door closed firmly.

The cabin was now full with over forty young men and women; the air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.

Senior Sister Wei, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly opened them. Her cold voice rang out, not loud, yet it drowned out all whispers:

"Everyone is here, forty-nine people. Five Profound Ranks, fifteen Yellow Rank Middle and Upper Grade Outer Sect Candidates, and the rest are Utility Disciples or unranked."

Her gaze lingered briefly on the five Profound Rank youths, including Li Qingfeng and Wang Teng, but showed no extra emotion.

Senior Brother Liu also opened his eyes. Feeling he should say something, he spoke to the crowd in the cabin, his tone as flat as if he were stating an inconsequential matter:

"This place is known as the Desolate Mountain Domain. Hundreds of years ago, a great war broke out in this domain, shattering the heavens and earth. Great powers intervened to cleanse the universe; monsters were eradicated, and spiritual opportunities were severed, turning it into a near wasteland."

He paused, looking at the bewildered and shocked young faces below, and continued:

"After hundreds of years of recovery, the earth veins have revived and spiritual opportunities are gradually emerging. Only then did the chance for Spiritual Roots to sprout appear among you commoners. The Sect Elders observed the return of Luck to this place, so they reopened the mountain gates, established Ascension Platforms in the towns of the Desolate Mountain Domain, and ordered us Outer Sect Disciples to come and receive you."

His gaze swept over the few Profound Rank youths like Li Qingfeng and Wang Teng, passed over the Yellow Rank youths, and finally landed on the most numerous Utility Disciples, his tone still without much fluctuation:

"The path to immortality is long. Your starting points vary, but once you enter the mountain gates, anything is possible. Do your best."

After speaking, he closed his eyes again, as if saying one more word would be a waste.

The cabin fell into a dead silence.

A war that destroyed the domain hundreds of years ago? Severed spiritual opportunities? Rebirth from a wasteland? This information was like a giant boulder crashing into the hearts of these youths who had just left home, stirring up massive waves.

So the land beneath their feet had such a tragic past?

So their immortal fate actually stemmed from the recovery of this land?

Li Qingfeng was also deeply shaken in his heart.

He subconsciously touched his brow, where the warmth of the Qi Ming Pulse Gate seemed to remain.

This power... was actually born from a land that had once been completely destroyed by the fires of war?

Looking at the seemingly endless sea of clouds churning outside the porthole, he felt a sense of insignificance yet profound reality toward the unknown Immortal Sect and the vast world of cultivation for the first time.

The Flying Shuttle traveled at high speed above the clouds for an unknown amount of time.

The light in the cabin gradually dimmed; it seemed near dusk.

Just as everyone was getting drowsy, the speed of the Flying Shuttle slowed significantly, and the humming sound deepened.

Senior Brother Liu and Senior Sister Wei both opened their eyes and stood up at the same time.

"Prepare for landing."

Senior Sister Wei's cold voice rang out.

Li Qingfeng's heart suddenly leaped into his throat!

He subconsciously clenched his fists and exchanged a nervous yet expectant look with Wang Tiezhu and Zhang Shitou.

Everyone craned their necks, crowding toward the portholes that looked like ripples on water.

They saw the churning sea of clouds below suddenly part!

An unimaginable sight burst into view!

Majestic! Powerful! It was breathtakingly magnificent!

Several giant peaks rose from the ground, piercing straight into the clouds!

Atop the peaks, jade palaces and pavilions were built along the slopes, with flying eaves and bracket sets appearing and disappearing amidst the mist, surrounded by glowing clouds and rising auspicious vapors.

Countless streaks of light, some strong and some weak, shuttled between the peaks like stars, carving out brilliant trajectories.

Huge waterfalls cascaded from extremely high cliffs, their roar faintly audible; the mist diffused, refracting into seven-colored rainbows under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Further away was a boundless primitive forest, lush and green, nourished by dense Spiritual Qi.

An indescribable, vast, pure Aura that made the Soul tremble rushed toward them like a tide, even through the walls of the Flying Shuttle!

That was Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi thousands of times denser than that on the back mountain of Li Family Village!

The Flying Shuttle descended slowly through the lingering mist, heading toward an exceptionally wide plaza paved with giant bluestones halfway up one of the massive peaks.

At the edge of the plaza stood a magnificent bronze gate; two ancient seal characters on the lintel shimmered in the glowing light—Qingxuan!

The Qingxuan Mountain Gate!

In front of the massive bronze gate, many figures were already standing, seemingly waiting for them.

The Flying Shuttle landed steadily on the bluestone plaza with a low hum.

The cabin door slid open silently.

"We have arrived."

Senior Brother Liu's voice rang out, carrying a hint of relief.

"Exit the Flying Shuttle and line up!"

The moment the shuttle door slid open, a surge of Spiritual Qi far purer and denser than that inside the shuttle,

like an invisible warm current carrying the unique freshness of the mountain forest and the slight chill of water vapor, rushed in! Li Qingfeng felt his spirits lift, as if every pore in his body was cheering with joy.

Li Qingfeng followed the crowd, his steps somewhat light as he descended the shuttle's gangway and stepped onto the massive bluestone plaza outside the Qingxuan Mountain Gate.

The plaza was unimaginably large.

It was paved with solid blocks of giant bluestone, fitted perfectly together and polished like a mirror, reflecting the churning sea of clouds above and the silhouettes of the majestic peaks in the distance.

At this moment, the plaza was already filled with people, a dense crowd that likely numbered over a thousand.

They were all new Disciples like them, just brought in from various parts of the Desolate Mountain Domain.

The young men and women were dressed in various styles, their expressions either excited or fearful; the air was filled with the hum of discussion, like countless bees vibrating their wings.